Dengvaxia pull-out from LGUs starts Asap

DEPARTMENT of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas has ordered the immediate recall of all Dengvaxia vials that were given to local government units (LGUs) in Cebu.

“Ang order is ‘Asap.’ Ongoing na. I-pull out na nato (The order is Asap. The pullout is ongoing),” said Bernadas after Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III ordered not only the suspension but also the return of the controversial vaccines on Monday.

In Cebu, at least 159,766 children were given the first dose of Dengvaxia.

The Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO), for its part, planned to launch a public health surveillance unit to monitor the Dengvaxia situation in the province next month.

“We’re still formulating the protocols on how to go about its implementation,” said PHO chief, Dr. Rene Catan.

Catan, earlier suggested that a Provincial Board (PB) resolution should be passed to compel mayors to submit a list of Dengvaxia recipients in their towns or cities so that PHO can create a centralized database system.

While legislators have yet to draft the resolution, Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot visited Capitol yesterday to submit a list of more than 100 children from Daanbantayan injected with the controversial Dengvaxia shots.

“We are also asking help from the PHO (Provincial Health Office) to determine who among the children had a history of dengue,” said Loot.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a monitoring and surveillance system to determine who among students enrolled from grades 4–6 were injected with the controversial vaccine under DOH-7’s community-based immunization program and by private practitioners.

Dr. Bianito Dagatan, Cebu city school’s superintendent, said that while DepEd had nothing to do with the vaccination program, the Dengvaxia monitoring will be done in coordination with DOH and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). /with Futch Anthony Inso